A Destiny Made Manifest.

And what of the ponies of Equestria, the Celestials? Their hunger is insatiable, but they feed on far more that. They consume entire plains, entire cultures, entire lands. They rip into the earth for its plunder, they tear mountains down to rebuild them to their desires. Unsatisfied, always unsatisfied, they spread, chewing, gorging, swallowing. They slaughter forests to plant row upon row of the same plant. They do not care for the destruction they bring, for they call it progress.

They call it their manifest destiny.

---

Equestria is growing. Of this, there is no doubt. But with this expansion comes conflict, especially with the indigenous populations. Royal decree orders peaceful expansion, but some unscrupulous powers have taken a different approach.

This scenario will not be small, and will indeed span Equestria and beyond. From the Royal Courts of Canterlot to the wild frontiers of the Badlands, all will feel the impacts of the Manifest Destiny. How? Well, let us look at the various factions and players of this grand game...

Royalists - The Princesses and their supporters
Celestia has always been pro-expansion, funding the settlements of many towns, the most famous being Ponyville. However, expansion should always be peaceful and settlers should always live in harmony with natives: agressive expansion is illegal. The Princesses enforce their decrees through the royal guard and the threat of the pure magical power of the sky. Almost all Equestrians are at least minor royalists, but there are few major royalists.

Major royalists include: The Princesses, Twilight Sparkle


Court of Lords, Mayors, Ministers and Representatives
Also known as the Senate, this faction is the traditional 'government' of Equestria and represents the interests of its citizens. It is thus flighty, irrational and slightly shizophrenic. It is highly prone to serve the whims of both lobbyists and the media, making it even more...eccentric. At the moment? It is mainly aligned with the interests of the loyalists, though it can be persuaded to go another direction...

Its main powers lie in passing 'common laws' making things legal/illegal, and they have control over the various city and county guards.

The Enlightened Council
This particular faction is devoted to the greater good of the Equestrian state, at all costs. All costs. The single-mindedness to fanaticalism of this faction would make it extremely unpopular...if anypony knew about it. This doesn't take away from its power, however, as its members are very rich, very powerful and extremely clever. They have settled into the niche of 'Equestria's Espionage Division' and operate outside both the common laws of the Senate and the royal decrees of the Princesses, who know of its existence and have allowed them to, for in a real sense they watch the watchmen. Both the Senate and the royalists are keeping a VERY close eye on them, though.

Like the other main Canterlot Government Players, they are in favour of peaceful expansion. If pursuing this train of thought will damage the state of Equestria, they will change their tune to a more convenient song. They enforce their will through [REDACTED] methods.

The Great Farming Families
The Apples. The Oranges. The Vines. The Pies (kinda sorta). These are just some of the few farming dynasties that have cropped up during the great Agricultural Revolution spurred by Celestia herself, and the momentum does not seem like slowing as their never ending search for more land continues. Deeply versed in the settling tradition, it seems second nature to these families to venture out into the wild yonder and start new farmsteads to provide food to the city folk. Though Traditionally royalist, increased tensions and conflict with the natives have made it difficult to retain the 'peaceful expansion' policy, and underneath the seemingly golden age is a volatile state one calamity away all out war.

TBC

(If anyone else has suggestions on how I can improve this thing, please let me know.)

Bump.

As Equestria seems to be in a sort of Industrial Revolution, I imagine there would be a rise of Bolshevik-esque ideals, especially of the lower class. While it seems like the Senate sort of is the Vox Populi, it also seems like it would be too corrupt to not illicit a respone.

Like, a sort of xenophobic party bent on letting expansion lay furrow until equality between ponies has been achieved, with fanatic zeal. A nice foil to royalist views, maybe.

I really like this idea, by the by.

(Also, while I propose this idea, I have no idea how to implement it or what to do to flush it out.)

What about the weather team? You have farms but don't forget Equestriaverse's sky is not moving without no pony

Are you saying you're gonna include the princesses and the mane 6? Or just the chosen princesses and the representatives holding elements of harmony?

btw this idea seems legit!

The Equestrians....they fear what they can't control. In their lands, everything is by their hooves, and their hooves alone. Animals live and die by their command, the birds are helpless with pegasi to guide their way, and plants that don't grow how they like are called 'weeds' in justification of their destruction. Even the seasons and the weather itself are slave to the Equestrians. No wonder they worship their Princesses, captors of the sun and the moon and the stars.

The wilderness terrifies them. It is the wilderness we shall wield.

For we shall never be theirs.

The Equestrian Megacorps
Corporation, noun. An ingenious device for obtaining individual profit without individual responsibility. First propping up in the industrial city of Manehatten, the idea of the corporation has flourished in Equestria, and the various companies look beyond her borders in search of precious untapped resources. With the Agricultural Revolution and the subsequent settler boom, many have not passed the opportunity to fund new settlements in the pursuit of profit happiness. Somepony has to fuel Equestria's hunger for coal, oil, metal, land, and wealth.

Unfortunately, for these corporations, there's the pesky problem of the savages natives cutting into the bottom line with mystic voodoo such as 'sacred sites' and 'ancestral homes'. Of course, Canterlot has outlawed aggressive expansion, but when dealing with, ah, less civilised species some conflict is inevitable.

By the way, the massacre of Sovereign Hill is a perfect example of why faithful Equestrians need protection, preferably with Flint and Steel (tm) brand rifles...

After all, there's gold in them hills. Figuratively and literally.

The Weather Factories (Would like more suggestions how expand this.)
Unlike those ground-huggers, the weather factories have existed on the frontier since their conception. What, do they think the clouds are just there to be moved? No, they need to be carefully produced and managed...

And we would really, really like it if Manehatten can cut back on the smog. Just a little. No, actually, a lot. What the Tartarus are you burning, ground-huggers?

And if that's not enough, the griffins are a lot more antsy these days. Almost as if they're up to something...

Utopia (possible expansion on this as well)
Word on the street can be be difficult to be decipher at the best of times, but those who listen will tell you (at a price) that it's getting angrier. Where's our revolution, it asks. Why are we apparently the richest we've ever been, yet some of us still starve?

This faction declares itself to be made up of unions and guilds, whilst opponents swear that it is really being run by crime syndicates and anarchists. Truth is, nopony is really sure who is running Utopia, some even saying that to have a leader in itself is counterpoint to the Utopian ideal.

In either case, the law is much more of a guideline to this faction.

hey! were just getting to the american imperialism in the 1900's in history! sorry to butt in but i just really like thespis' idea. like, i can't help but think that equestria is a little like england at the turn of the century: a aristocracy struggling to keep power all the "new money" flooding in. while industrialization is happening though, the poor (as they always do) get poorer, working dangerous jobs for little pay. all opposition, unions, or organisations dedicated to change are brutally crushed by some pinkerton equivalent

like, rather than this being a quiet revolution, i think that history would show that something like this would be a particularly loud, yet peaceful affair. but just like in haymarket or homestead, those peaceful protests can easily turn deadly, turning into riots and shootings and all sorts of chaos.

i guess if you want to put a more contemporary spin on it you could sort of equate utopia to the occupy movement, lots of public support but no set goal, making them a unpredictable, easily swayed bunch. as opposed to the backstabbing politics of most groups, utopia would be much more fanatic, and openly violent, when it comes down to it.

Beyond Equestria

Buffalo tribes
Normally a peaceful species, the rapid expansion of Equestria has led to fierce conflict between the natives and the settlers. Though concessions have been made in the past, the massacre of Sovereign Hill was the first time the Buffalo had done significant damage to an Equestrian colony, leading to a call for Equestrian retaliation. Prior violence towards the buffalo has been carefully ignored.

As the old leaders of the tribes die, the new generation of Buffalo are now willing to put aside inter-tribal conflict and adapt new values and technology to counter the Equestrian threat.

Griffon Clans
Isolationist by nature, nopony is really sure why the half-bird, all-killjoy species have decided to go all...organised.

Maybe it's the new charismatic leader coming to the fore, proclaiming the purity of the griffon race? Maybe it's the border confusion with the Crystal Empire suddenly appearing all of a sudden? Either way, it's all flag-waving and nice uniforms for the griffons.

Really nice uniforms, actually. Did Rarity get a contract with them or something?

Diamond Dogs
"Y'see in the old dayz we us'd to steel the ponies, roight? But we'd had to keep it in the down low, all qu'et like, couldn't get big. Small time mines.

Then top dogs like da Tin Wite Dook and Mr Nine came up with the grouse idea of keepin the pony's monies in mine vaults. Da ponies course were sus, til the top dogs sed dey waz goin to pay them for keepin it. In-tres, dey call it.

Now I no wot your thinkin. 'Dat's dum-dum. Top dogs'll run out of monies, demselves!' Well, it turns out some've the ponies need moines themselves. Lotsa monies, real fast, on the quiet. Dat's when dey go to Bowie Banks or Soul Gem Vaults and ask for monies. Then the top dogs get the monies from dere vaults and sell it to em.

Dat's genious. Take ponies monies and sell it back to them at a profit. And dey don have to do nothin. And if the ponies don't pay?

Well, let's just say we don have to steel ponies for da mines no more."